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Gold Coast-based Operator Eyeing New Childcare Centre In Bardon

A Gold Coast-based childcare centre operator is looking to expand its services across South East Queensland, with new centres planned for the region including one in Bardon.

Read: Bardon’s Childcare Cost Among Highest In QLD

Harmony Early Learning Journey, based at Hope Island in Gold Coast, is eyeing to invest $85 million across several locations in Australia.

Aside from Bardon, the organisation is planning to establish additional centres in Bulimba, East Brisbane, Griffin, Thornlands, Graceville and Yeerongpilly as well as the Broadbeach Waters and Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast.

Harmony has not announced much about the Bardon childcare centre, but three (Broadbeach Waters, Griffin, and East Brisbane) are expected to open in 2022 and all of them will operate from 6:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Harmony’s site selection was based on suburbs with the strongest population growth in Australia. Bardon’s population as of 2021 is estimated to be at around 10,723.

The organisation is eager to expand in Queensland, despite claims that the state’s childcare sector is facing an oversupply.

In January 2022, the Australian Childcare Alliance revealed there’s an oversupply of childcare centres in Queensland since 2017, not to mention the additional 200 centres currently in planning stages.

Earlier this year, another developer was bombarded with objections from locals regarding its proposal for a childcare centre along Chiswick Road in Bardon. Residents worried that the centre will be built in a ‘dangerous intersection’ and the additional traffic it would bring, given that there are already three primary schools in the area.

Meanwhile, Bardon is among the suburbs in QLD with the highest childcare cost, averaging at $123.50/day as of May 2022.

Issues Raised on Proposed Stuartholme School Sporting Precinct Development in Bardon

The Freer’s Farm Action Group has outlined several issues concerning the proposed redevelopment of the Freer’s Farm farm site in Bardon into a sporting precinct for Stuartholme School.

The group cites that they are not opposed to the plans per se (MID-1021-0542 – Stuartholme School) but there are potential problems that the developers need to address before the redevelopment gets a green light.

Among the most concerning issue is the sports field’s impact on flood levels, especially on the properties downstream. The group said that the flood modelling used in the proposal “don’t reflect actual historical flows.”

Photo Credit: The State of Queensland (Planning) / planning.dsdmip.qld.gov.au

Additionally, the earthworks within the flood zone call for filling land that will raise its level higher than the neighbouring properties. Essentially, this will remove the flood plain and increase the risk of flooding onto the other sites.

Freer’s Farm is near Sir Samuel Griffiths Drive and picnic areas at Hoop Pine and Silky Oak within the Mt Coot-the Reserve. The sports field may also cause parking and traffic issues at these sites.

The residents are also concerned about light and noise pollution when there are games at night that will likely bring ecological impacts to the wildlife, parkland users, and the neighbourhood. For years, most of the area at Freer’s Farm is completely free of artificial light at night.

Last week, some of the locals have met with representatives of the developer, Ethos Urban, Stuartholme School, and the consulting firm, Blight Tanner, to clearly discuss the concerns of the community. Cr Peter Matic was also in the said meeting.

According to the Freer’s Farm Action Group, the flood modelling used in the proposal is not accurate, thus they have asked for a revised model. The planners said they are willing to work with the community to deliver a final model that will be agreeable to all concerned.

The planners also acknowledged providing more information on the sports field lighting information. They have agreed to defer the start of construction to August 2022.

The MID submission, on the other hand, has been extended until 19 May 2022. Follow the guide on how to make a submission from this group.

Bardon Tech Company Receives ‘Ignite Ideas’ Funding for Innovative Firearms Training Solution

Video Still: Simulation Training Group / simulationtraininggroup.com

Bardon technology companyu Simulation Training Group, a provider of mobile training solutions to the defence, policing and sports sectors, is one of the Round 8 recipients of the Ignite Ideas Fund.

A total of 21 innovations will share in the $2.4 million funding as announced by Innovation Minister Stirling Hinchliffe. The latest round of funding is expected to generate up to 100 jobs from various sectors including manufacturing, finance, energy, infrastructure, agriculture, construction, and health.

Among the Round 8 – Ignite Ideas recipients is Simulation Training Group which is one of Australia’s leading providers of innovative virtual reality training solutions. The State Government will invest $100,000 in the company’s Virtual-Shot system – virtual firearms training platform and smartphone mount for military and law enforcement applications – under the funding program.

The Virtual-Shot system comprises a lightweight smartphone mount and a comprehensive Mobile Application. Utilising the screen, sensors and microphone on the rifle-mounted smartphone, the application creates a ballistically accurate shooting range, sensitive to the movements of the user.

“Ignite Ideas supports Queenslanders to take their innovations to the next level by tapping into new markets and helping to attract investment,” Innovation Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said.

“This round also includes funding for a sea rescue marine drone, AI technology for mine and major infrastructure inspections and a robot system that picks and packs fruit and vegetables.”

About Ignite Ideas

The Ignite Ideas Fund is a Queensland Government initiative that aims to support small to medium businesses that have the potential to undertake commercialisation projects. Funding is divided into two tiers: Tier 1 (up to $100,000 for projects of up to 12 months duration) and Tier 2 (greater than $100,000 and up to $200,000 for projects of up to 24 months duration).

Eligibility requirements include:

be a business headquartered in Queensland
have no more than 50 full-time-equivalent employees
not be a subsidiary of a group of companies that has more than 50 full-time-equivalent employees
not have received funding for the proposed project activity from either the State, Federal or Local Government
be registered for GST (at the time of Full Application submission).

The complete list of Ignite Ideas Funding Round 8 recipients can be found here.

Bardon’s Childcare Cost Among Highest In QLD

Did you know that at an average cost of childcare is $123.50/day, Bardon is one of the most expensive suburbs for childcare in Queensland?

Read: Why Well-off Families Choose This Bardon School For Their Kids

Based on Care for Kids’ estimates, the average cost of childcare in Bardon is slightly higher than that of Queensland overall, which recorded an average of $10.83 hourly or $108.33 per day for 10 hours.

One of the leading long daycares in Bardon, located at Boundary Rd and has 64 approved places, charges up to $133 per day but currently has no vacancy.

Childcare costs in Brisbane increased by up to 6.5 percent in 2021, driven by staff shortages and high rents. To somewhat help families with the soaring childcare costs, the State Government has invested more than $1 billion for the kindy funding reform package.

The reform, which has been created to help make kindy more affordable and more accessible, will benefit more than 40,000 Queensland children a year, regardless of whether they attend a community kindergarten or kindy in long day care.

A family with one child in kindy could save up to $3,200 per year whilst a family with two children in kindy could save up to $6,400.

Education Minister Grace Grace said the reforms would kick in at the start of 2023.

“Fourteen thousand children will also be able to access completely free kindy: this will be for our most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in areas we know kids can miss out.

Ms Grace said around 20,000 children have reduced kindy fees at present and a very small number of them receive free kindy, so this investment will benefit thousands of families.

childcare cost — Photo credit: Engin Akyurt/Pixabay

“This is a significant change for the sector, and we’ll be working closely with providers in the coming months on things like software upgrades, contracts, and consultation with families to ensure they’re ready for the new program in 2023.”

Minister Grace said the package also included an expansion of the Kindy Uplift program and extra funding for children with disabilities.

“We’re thrilled that this increased funding means we can more than double the number of services covered by the successful Kindy Uplift program to 930,” Ms Grace said.

Bardon Boundary Rd Roundabout Safety Upgrade Coming Soon!

Photo Credit: Google Maps

The notoriously dangerous Bardon Boundary Rd roundabout is set for a minor safety upgrade which will see the existing painted centre island converted into a concrete island that will serve as a pedestrian refuge.

The Bardon roundabout, at Rouen Rd, Boundary Rd and Rainworth Rd, is notorious for being dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists alike.

Compounding the safety concerns is the introduction of The Bardon Shed and the new childcare centre on Runic St. which has made the street a lot busier and more dangerous.

“That means even though lots of people want to walk down to the Bardon Shed, Rainworth State School and the new childcare centre, it’s more dangerous than ever,” Greens MP for Maiwar, Michael Berkman, wrote on his social media.

“Due to high speeds on the roundabout, the entrance to Runic St is very wide, with nowhere to stop safely, especially if you’re pushing a pram.

Photo Credit: Michael Berkman – Greens MP for Maiwar / Facebook

“Interestingly, there are **two more** proposed or approved childcare centres within a couple of blocks, one in Vimy St and another on Boundary Rd near Rainworth SS. Unless we make the streets a lot safer and more walkable, all those parents will be driving to drop off and pick up, adding even more danger.

Mr Berkman said that he has secured a small safety upgrade for that section of the roundabout during his meeting with the Department of Transport and Main Roads which manages the State-controlled road; no date has been set yet as to when the project will commence.

“It’s worth noting that we got this win because a local resident took the time to write me an email drawing it to my attention – thanks very much to them!”

Other changes for the Boundary Rd roundabout that Mr Berkman pushes for include:

Implementing safer speeds (40km/hr) for the roundabout to help minimise the incidence of crashes
A raised “wombat” crossing for the infamous pedestrian crossing on Boundary Rd north of the roundabout (at Norm Buchan Park).
Streetscape changes to prioritise local residents, kids, cyclists and other vulnerable road users above speeding traffic.
More and better buses to reduce mandatory car dependency for Bardon residents.

Here’s Where To Go In Rosalie For The Best Croissants

Banette is a bakery and cafe in Rosalie that offers a large choice of pastries and cakes lovingly made in the French tradition, using butter and flour from France.

Read: La Belle Vie in Bardon Lives Up to the Promise of a ‘Good Life’

One of the most popular items on Banette’s menu is its croissants, which are made over two days using a slow fermentation process that uses premium butter imported from France. Aside from butter, the bakery also sources flour from France, for use in making their pastries.

french croissants — Photo credit: Banette/Facebook

As most diners would describe it, Banette’s croissants boast that “melt in your mouth” goodness. The croissants, which come in chocolate, almond cream, and ham and cheese flavours, are airy and pleasantly moist.

banette french bakery — Photo credit: Banette/Facebook

Banette’s menu also includes pain au raisin’ or ‘escargot/snail’, baguette, choquette, eclairs in coffee and praline flavours, Fougasse (a flat bread from Provence in the south of France), and macarons in many different flavours.

Those who want to know what a classic French cake tastes like should not miss the bakery’s Opera cake, which are three layers of Arabica coffee with soaked Joconde biscuit, Callebaut dark chocolate ganache, light coffee buttercream, and chocolate glaze.

banette rosalie — Photo credit: Banette/Facebook

As for the cafe, there are tables outfront where customers can dine and enjoy their treats. The pastries and cakes go perfectly with coffee from Clandestino Coffee, which is a Noosa-based specialty coffee roaster.

Banette is open daily, from 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekends. You can check out their Facebook page or Instagram @banette.rosalie for updates.

“This place saved my life, though it’s still 25mins drive from me, it offers the best croissants I could find in Brisbane, stretchy inside and pops outside, French buttery flavour, with a coffee, oh my, I’m back in Paris.”
-Sherry Zhang

“Having lived in France, this place is pretty damn close to the real deal. Very friendly staff and the Croissants and AMAZING. Baked fresh daily, and the French produce for sale is a really nice touch.”
Katie Kochanski

2022 Bardon Kerbside Collection Is Almost Here: What To Do With Your Unacceptable Items

Photo credit: manfredrichter/Pixabay

Bardon is gearing up for the suburb’s annual kerbside collection on the 7th of February 2022 and here are some quick reminders and tips for items that may or may not make it to the kerb on that day.

Read: Here’s Why Bardon is the Coolest Inner City Suburb of Brisbane

What if some of the items cannot be collected? Remember, Brisbane City Council will not collect unacceptable items placed on the kerb and if they are not removed within seven days of the notified collection period, illegal dumping fines may apply.

To avoid being charged for illegal dumping and to keep those unwanted items from going to landfill, consider taking them to recycling centres.

tyre-waste — Photo credit: 652234/Pixabay

BCC has resource recovery centres where the items are taken for recycling. For instance, waste tyres can be used for manufacturing new rubber products such as soft fall surfaces, artificial turf and conveyor belts.

These centres accept almost any item you can’t put on the kerb for collection, including garden waste, batteries, paint and solvents, gas bottles, glass containers, and other metals.

paint-waste — Photo credit: stux/Pixabay

Did you know that most of these centres are already a Paintback site? This means they are part of Paintback, an industry-led initiative designed to divert unwanted paint and packaging from ending up in landfill and vital waterways.

Paintback finds new ways to repurpose unwanted paint materials and help develop a circular economy. Paintback accepts up to 100 litres per visit stowed in containers of up to 20 litres.

Garden waste, like other wastes, can have many more uses. If you’re not composting at home, you can bring them to recycling centres where they are recycled as a nutrient-rich soil conditioner for land reclamation sites and agriculture areas. However, make sure not to include garden wastes that have contaminants, such as grass cuttings with herbicides.

Check the schedule of the centres below:

Read: Bardon Property Market Continues to Deliver High Capital Growth Rates

Those with recyclable donations can go directly to Brisbane’s resource and sort your items there. In Bardon, the nearest recycling centre is Ferny Grove Resource Recovery Centre, which is a 16-minute drive via Waterworks Rd.

You can drop off your items for free when you have the waste voucher, which is issued by Council annually to Brisbane households. For more information on how to use the centres, including waste vouchers, fees and charges, visit BCC’s website.

Here’s Why Bardon is the Coolest Inner City Suburb of Brisbane

Did you know that Bardon and many suburbs in Greater Brisbane are seven degrees cooler than treeless capital cities in the country?

A new analysis has revealed that many suburbs in Brisbane have substantial tree cover that keeps the Sunshine State’s hot, sunny days at bay.

Nearmap did an aerial survey of more than 5,000 suburbs across Australia from February to March 2021 and determined the top nine leafiest locations in Brisbane. Bardon tops the list in the inner city with 34 per cent more tree cover than other suburbs in the area.

*Region*	*Top Suburb by Region*	*Percentage Tree Cover*
Brisbane – East	Sheldon	66%
Ipswich	Mount Crosby	60%
Brisbane – South	Burbank	55%
Moreton Bay – South	Bunya	53%
Brisbane – West	Pullenvale	52%
Logan – Beaudesert	Buccan	43%
Brisbane Inner City	Bardon	34%
Moreton Bay – North	Wamuran	31%
Brisbane – North	Shorncliffe	23%

According to the report from Nearmap, 79 per cent of suburbs in Greater Brisbane have over 20 per cent tree cover. That’s more than Hobart (71 per cent), Darwin (66 per cent), Canberra (58 per cent), Greater Sydney (44 per cent), Melbourne (30 per cent), Adelaide (26 per cent), and Perth (22 per cent).

Ranking of AU's Leafiest Cities — Australia’s Leafiest Cities
Photo Credit: Nearmap

Cr Tracy Davis, Brisbane City Council’s environment chairperson, said that efforts to plant more trees in Brisbane every year since 2016 have increased the natural habitat by nearly 40 per cent.

Tree planting activities also netted 14,000 street trees a year in heaps of residential locations. These provided shade and breeze in footpaths and parks, as well reduced the energy consumption in many homes.

Urban trees produce more oxygen and consume more carbon dioxide, reducing the pollution in the air. Trees become food for wildlife, giving Brisbane its natural structure and subtropical character.

Years before the initiative, more than two million trees have been planted for a greener Brisbane between 2008 to 2012. Council targets a 50 per cent increase of tree covers in bus stops, bikeways, boulevards, and major entry roads by 2031.

“Brisbane’s urban forest removes about 1.45 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year (equalling 10% of our city’s emissions),” per Council. “Our tree canopy cover makes leafy parts of Brisbane up to seven degrees cooler than treeless areas.”

Why Well-off Families Choose This Bardon School For Their Kids

Bardon’s Rainworth State School has topped the list of Queensland’s Index of Community Socio-educational Advantage (ICSEA), suggesting that families with the highest level of educational advantage prefer to send their children to one of the highest rated public schools in the State.

Read: Bardon Property Market Continues to Deliver High Capital Growth Rates

Created by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), ICSEA serves as a comprehensive evaluation of social factors, including family background and parents’ education level. It’s worth noting that it does not describe or reflect the wealth of parents of students in particular.

Other than the parents’ education and occupation, ICSEA is also being calculated based on the school’s geographical location and the proportion of indigenous students. A higher ICSEA means the greater advantage the school has. In the case of Rainworth State School, it was named more ‘educationally advantaged’ compared to the majority of schools in Australia.

Photo credit: https://apps.des.qld.gov.au

Rainworth State School’s ICSEA score is 1224, higher than the average which is 1,000. Around 87% of the school’s families come from the top socio-educational quartile.

It’s not surprising that those with the highest educational attainment or highest socio-economic status choose Rainworth State School. It’s a highly rated primary school in Bardon, having been named as the third highest-performing primary school in Queensland based on the latest NAPLAN results.

Established in 1928, the school’s vision is to “provide a holistic approach to childhood development” whilst also focusing on helping children reach their full academic potential.

“Great school grounds, I’ve read a lot about the state primary schools in Brisbane to ascertain where to send my kids and Rainworth school is the best one to send them to,”
-Elizabeth Yi

“Rainworth has taught me a lot about myself and how I can improve as a person. All the teachers have given me an amazing 6 years and I have no idea how to repay them. Becoming school captain last year made me feel a part of the school and being able to help the new children and just giving them a hand when they really needed it. Rainworth is the most amazing school because all the people are so inclusive and the teacher gives you a proper chance to learn. thank you to Rainworth i am the best version of myself.”
-Anna Roads

Eden Academy Bardon Holds Fundraiser and Awareness Campaign for Leukaemia Foundation

Eden Academy Bardon is running a fundraiser for the sister of one of its students who has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia at six years old. Alongside the fundraiser, the school community is also hosting a Crazy Hair and Crazy Sock Day in support of the Leukaemia Foundation.

Emily, the sister of four-year-old Lucy, who attends Eden Academy Bardon, experienced lethargy and some unusual bruising for some weeks. Doctors diagnosed the child with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), an aggressive type of blood cancer that needs immediate treatment.

Within 24 hours of her diagnosis, Emily was rushed to the hospital to start her chemotherapy, receive multiple blood transfusions, and take antibiotics.

“The news of her diagnosis was made even more devastating as Emily’s dad had died from bowel cancer only two and a half years ago,” according to their mother.

“Emily is doing well. She has moved into the next phase of her two-year treatment after achieving remission.”

However, the six-year-old had to stop attending Bardon State School until Term 2 in 2022 due to her gruelling treatment protocols. Despite her remission, she has had multiple admissions to the hospital for unexpected complications.

Needless to say, the disease has affected the entire family but they are hopeful more research for the management or treatment of ALL and other forms of blood cancer would continue to improve.

To help with the cause, the Eden Academy Bardon community is hoping to raise funds for the research. Thus, on 1 December 2021, the children and the staff will be in their craziest hairstyle and socks to raise awareness for the foundation.

Mark Gilham, who works at the academy, will also be running 14.7km from Middle Park to Bardon. Parents and friends are enjoined to guess Mark’s time and the closest will win a $50 voucher from The Bardon Shed.

Meanwhile, the fundraiser will still be up and running following the activities so anyone interested to help can donate online.

DONATE TO The Leukaemia Foundation